A process for producing a semiconductor module by housing a substrate, on which a power semiconductor chip is mounted, in a case made of resin and then sealing inside of the case with a gel material and/or epoxy resin includes the following steps.
That is, the process includes: a step of implementing, by reflow soldering, a semiconductor chip and/or the like on a substrate that is placed on a base; a step of joining and fixing together a case and the base plate that have been adjusted in position to each other; a step of injecting silicone gel and/or epoxy resin into the case and thermally curing the gel or resin; a step of inserting an external terminal into the case and bending the terminal, and so forth. Then, after each step is completed, a visual inspection is performed.
As for shapes of the case, there have been proposed various ones. For example, in Patent Literature 1, there is proposed one consisting of a case main body an upper part of which is entirely open, and a lid which covers the upper part opening portion of the case main body and to which the external terminal is attached. In a method of producing a module having this case structure, when an internal circuit is soldered using a reflow soldering process in a state where the case main body and the lid are put together in position on a substrate, the case main body and the lid are joined together at the same time. Also, in Patent Literature 2, there is proposed one consisting of a case main body a top face of which is open, and a lid which covers the opening portion of the case main body and in which a hole portion into which an external terminal extending upward from a substrate is inserted is formed. In a method of producing a module having this case structure, an internal circuit is soldered by a reflow soldering process in a state where the case main body and the external terminal are fixed using a jig; subsequently, silicone gel and/or epoxy resin is injected into the case main body and thermally cured; thereafter, the external terminal is inserted into the hole portion of the lid and the lid is fixed; and finally, the external terminal is bent.